Aligning of twin component aviation systems in flight



March 1, 1966 N ETAL 3,237,886

ALIGNING OF TWIN COMPONENT AVIATION SYSTEMS IN FLIGHT Filed June 19, 1964 b IQ Q :Q fiCI F13 121] Lb (d) Fla. 4.

b =g gia a sa [F120 0 1; 0 0 (a) (b) (c) (d) United States Patent Of" 3,237,886 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 3,237,886 ALIGNING OF TWIN COMPONENT AVIATION SYSTEMS IN FLIGHT Rowland Delville Hunt, Hythe, and Ronald Charles Harris, Preston, England, assignors to British Aircraft Corporation (Operating) Limited Filed June 19, 1964, Ser. No. 376,390 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 24, 1963,

2 Claims. (Cl. 2442) The present invention relates to the aligning in flight of twin-component aviation systems consisting of a flying platform forming one component capable of vertical takeofl and landing and of horizontal flight at a speed exceedthe normal stalling speed of the other component formed by a conventional aeroplane capable of taking-off from and being attached to the said platform in flight. The aligning device has the object of coordinating the flight of the two components immediately before the said aeroplane is attached to the said flying platform.

The said aeroplane is also capable of taking off from and alighting on any ordinary airstrip or flight deck in the conventional ways.

According to the present invention two elongated lights, i.e. light sources many times longer than wide, are arranged at the underside transversely of the longitudinal axis of the aeroplane longitudinally and at right angles to one another, the common line passing through the centers of both elongated lights defining a closing-in path to be taken by the flying platform when approaching the aeroplane from underneath and astern. These two elongated lights form a light display which is viewed by the pilot of the flying platform. When the flying platform is on the correct closing-in path the pilot will see a symmetrical cross formed by the two said elongated lights. If the flying platform is off the correct path a small amount the pilot will see an asymmetrical cross. This means that the flying platform is still well in the allowable path tolerance and the small error can be corrected easily by the pilot of the flying platform.

When, however, the flying platform is outside the allowable path tolerance, the two elongated lights will appear to have no intersection; this indicates the necessity of a greater correction of the flight path of the flying platform relative to the aeroplane.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the aeroplane and the flying platform in a position preparatory to the approach of the flying platform from astern and underneath the aeroplane for a link-up.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view on larger scale showing the two elongated lights and the allowable lateral approach band around the desired closing path.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation to FIGURE 2 showing the allowable approach band in the vertical plane.

FIGURES 4a, b, c, d show four possible images to be seen by the pilot of the flying platform when approaching the aeroplane. The asymmetry can be in any sense.

FIGURES 5a, b, c, (I show images corresponding to those of FIGURE 4 with a modified arrangement of the elongated lights.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, two elongated lights a and b are arranged at the underside of the aeroplane 1, the common line e passing through the mid-points of both elongated lights corresponding to the designed guide path for the flying platform 2 when approaching the aeroplane 1 from astern and underneath and a line 1 parallel to this designed guide path indicating the closing path for the mechanical attachment means on the flying platform and aeroplane, respectively.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3 it will be seen that for convenience of illustration the elongated light b is shown as vertical and the elongated light a to be horizontal. The two lines diverging from the vertical elongated light b, which in the plan view of FIGURE 2 appears as a point, to the end of the horizontal elongated light a define the allowable lateral approach band for the flying platform, the center line e defining the designed closing-in path for the platform.

The two lines in FIGURE 3 connecting the elongated light a, which in elevation appears as point, with the ends of the vertical elongated light b indicate the allowable approach band in the vertical plane for the flying platform. The center line e in FIGURE 3, which indicates the designed closing-in path, is shown in FIGURE 3 as a horizontal line, but it corresponds in practice to the line e sloping in FIGURE 1 from left to right and denoting there the designed guide path.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, when the flying platform is on the designed closing-in path, i.e. the center line e both of FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3, the elongated lights a and b will appear to the pilot of the flying platform as a symmetrical cross shown in FIGURE 4a. When the flying platform is slightly oif the designed closing-in path, the two elongated lights a and b will appear to the pilot of the flying platform as in FIGURE 41:, i.e. as an asymmetrical cross. When the flying platform is outside the allowable approach band, the two elongated lights a and b will appear to the pilot of the flying platform as shown in FIGURE 40, i.e. the two elongated lights a and b will not intersect at all. FIGURE 4d shows the image of two elongated lights a and b as seen when the flying platform is just at the boundary of the allowable approach band.

Referring now to FIGURES 5a, b, c, d, a center marker C is arranged in the middle of the horizontal elongated light a and the vertical elongated light b is composed of two sections in alignment with one another, i.e. with a gap D in the middle. FIGURES 5a, b, c, (1 corresponds to FIGURES 4a, b, c, d, respectively.

The distinction between the appearance of the horizontal elongated light a, which is the nearer one to the pilot of the flying platform, and the vertical elongated light 5, which is more remote from it, has the advantage that it makes it more obvious to the pilot of the flying platform in which direction a control movement has to be performed in order to get the flying platform on the designed closing-in path.

In principle the nearer light may be either the horizontal or the vertical one but obviously a standardisation will have to be made in practice.

We claim:

1. A system for the aligning in flight of a twincomponent aviation system comprising in combination: a flying platform, an aeroplane, two elongated light sources arranged at the underside of said aeroplane longitudinally spaced from and at right angles to one another, and observation means arranged on said flying platform, the midpoint of each elongated light source being situated on the closing-in path to be taken by said flying platform when approaching said aeroplane from underneath and astern when coinciding on the line of observation of said observation means.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a centre FOREIGN PATENTS mark on one said elongated light sources, a gap being 1,286,237 1/1962 France provided in the centre of said other elongated light source.

OTHER REFERENCES References Cited by the Examine! 5 Sherman, Torn: Airborne Pinball Machine Guides UNITED STATES PATENTS Refueling, Popular Mechanics, November 1960', pages 1,349,277 8/1920 'Honig 340-26 150 and 2,280,126 4/1942 'Metcalf 340-26 2,489,221 11/1949 Herbold 33 46 MILTON BUCHLER, y Exwmmer- 2 150 10 1954 Davis 244 114 10 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examiner- 2,784,925 3/1957 Goodhaft 244-114 R, G, BESHA, T. MAJOR, Assistant Examiners.

2,996,947 8/1961 Reed et al 244114 

1. A SYSTEM FOR THE ALIGNING IN FLIGHT OF A TWINCOMPONENT AVIATION SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A FLYING PLATFORM, AN AEROPLANE, TWO ELONGATED LIGHT SOURCES ARRANGED AT THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID AEROPLANE LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FROM AND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER, AND OBSERVATION MEANS ARRANGED ON SAID FLYING PLATFORM, THE MIDPOINT OF EACH ELONGATED LIGHT SOURCE BEING SITUATED ON THE CLOSING-IN PATH TO BE TAKEN BY SAID FLYING PLATFORM WHEN APPROACHING SAID AEROPLANE FROM UNDERNEATH AND ASTERN WHEN COINCIDING ON THE LINE OF OBSERVATION OF SAID OBSERVATION MEANS. 